Tigers prospect Gregory Soto suspended

Left-handed pitcher Gregory Soto will be suspended for the first 20 games of the 2019 season for conduct detrimental to baseball.

Major League Baseball announced the suspension Friday evening.

Soto, a 23-year-old native of the Dominican Republic, has never played in the big leagues and spent last season with Class A (advanced) Lakeland, but he is subject to the league’s collective bargaining agreement because he is on the 40-man roster.

Soto was suspended under a clause that says “players may be disciplined for just cause for conduct that is materially detrimental or materially prejudicial to the best interests of Baseball including, but not limited to, engaging in conduct in violation of federal, state or local law.”

The Tigers deferred any comment on the suspension to Major League Baseball, which said it could not comment further for confidentiality reasons.

A source told MLive that Soto was not suspended due to an arrest, domestic violence, drugs or gambling issues.

Soto, who was added to the 40-man roster last winter, is the Tigers' 14th-best prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. He was the Tigers' organizational pitcher of the year in 2017 and pitched in the Arizona Fall League after the 2018 season.

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